Not for lack of trying. Other presidents have absolutely defied Congress or the Supreme Court, filled the government with cronies, or otherwise completely abandoned common decency and the rule of law. If Trump is more destructive than any president before him, it will be because technology put more advanced tools of destruction at his disposal, not because he is somehow more evil or power hungry than anyone before him.

Yeah… and I don’t even think he’s our worst-ever President! It’s quite the shitshow, really.

Even if we allow for the concept that most presidents will inevitably commit some evils, and therefore do not simply label them all devils, we would still (at a pretty generous minimum) have to label around 1/3 of them as devils. Obviously Trump is bad and should be vigorously resisted, but it is not as though this country has never had leaders this reckless, this callous to human suffering, or this bigoted before. Future generations will find Trump noteworthy to be sure, but probably not singularly so.